Services

What we do...

Take a look at our full list of services below:

Absence Management

Employee absence from work can be costly for businesses. In 2015, the average level of employee absence increased to 6.9 days per person, per year (in 2014 it was 6.6 days). Effective absence management is essential to preventing job loss for companies and workers; it benefits both parties. The summary of the CIPD’s Sixteenth Survey of Absence Management Trends, Policy and Practice found that 60% of companies use their absence/attendance data as a KPI for their employees. These companies are proactive in monitoring and discouraging absence, therefore promoting health and well-being within their organisation.
HPC recently assisted a client in significantly reducing their absence levels. Our client’s short term absence rate was a problem. Following our review and suggested changes in practice, they reduced it by 70% - saving the business in excess of £1,000,000 per year.

Appeals

Workplace disputes can be somewhat uncomfortable for all concerned, not to mention if an employee feels as though decisions that have been made are unfair or unjust. They could decide to appeal and have grounds substantial enough to support their claims, this may worry the employer who must deal with the appeal within certain timings.
HPC can assist companies by taking over the process on your behalf and ensure cases are handled efficiently and in a timely manner. Some clients may choose to utilise their ‘consulting hours’ for this service of support.

Appraisals and Performance

A performance appraisal, sometimes referred to as a performance review, is when an employee meets with their line manager to assess their recent performance and often set objectives for the coming year. It is a time when quite often, the employee has a chance to voice their concerns within their role and inform whoever necessary of any assistance or resources they will need access to in order to complete them.

HPC will support Management with their appraisals in a number of ways. First, may be to ensure all employees receive one and are aware of their objectives (as this is best practice for companies who aim to grow and develop). Or alternatively, Management may require some coaching in this area, our advisors can sit in and observe for you, or conduct the appraisal for you if this would be more suitable.

Onsite Support

Managing disciplinary and grievance issues can be costly for an Employer. Along with their complex nature, they can also be very time consuming – and as all business owners know, time is valuable and not always easily set aside. Therefore creating and implementing the right procedures to pre-empt any form of disagreement or conflict are vital if you want to avoid Employment Tribunal claims for unfair or constructive dismissal.
HPC will provide you with the advice and support for any arising issues you come to face. We can also conduct investigatory, disciplinary and grievance hearings, this service falls under ‘consulting’ hours allocated within packages. Any relevant documentation will be supplied via the Employment Law Helpline at no additional cost.

Employment Law Advice line

As mentioned in Appraisals, it is important for employees to be focussed on the job at hand, but also aware of future business goals. This improves group cohesion, performance and the work-life balance, causing business performance as a whole to be heightened. On the other hand, some businesses currently will have a disengaged workforce and these can pose huge risks! Employees who feel as though they are not engaged in their job, team or company will not work to their fullest potential.

HPC will endeavor to assist employers in creating a diligent and successful working atmosphere for their employees to thrive in. Irrespective of profession or industry; leadership, alignment and support are all crucial for employee satisfaction. We are well practiced in this area of service – after all, it is the human element of our work that is most important!

Insurance-backed protection

Mediation is an essential tool for dissolving confrontations in the workplace. At times there may be an instance where, due to personal reasons, a company requires an external source to mediate a situation for them. More often than not conflict is brushed under the carpet, it then escalates and becomes a bigger problem than if it had been directly addressed.
HPC can be this external party, still connected with your business, but provide impartial advice based on their investigation; exploring both sides of the argument and drawing to some form of conclusion, following the facts where the issues is resolved.

Disciplinary and Grievance

Managing disciplinary and grievance issues can be costly for an Employer. Along with their complex nature, they can also be very time consuming – and as all business owners know, time is valuable and not always easily set aside. Therefore creating and implementing the right procedures to pre-empt any form of disagreement or conflict are vital if you want to avoid Employment Tribunal claims for unfair or constructive dismissal.
HPC will provide you with the advice and support for any arising issues you come to face. We can also conduct investigatory, disciplinary and grievance hearings, this service falls under ‘consulting’ hours allocated within packages. Any relevant documentation will be supplied via the Employment Law Helpline at no additional cost.

Employee Engagement & Wellbeing

As mentioned in Appraisals, it is important for employees to be focussed on the job at hand, but also aware of future business goals. This improves group cohesion, performance and the work-life balance, causing business performance as a whole to be heightened. On the other hand, some businesses currently will have a disengaged workforce and these can pose huge risks! Employees who feel as though they are not engaged in their job, team or company will not work to their fullest potential.

HPC will endeavor to assist employers in creating a diligent and successful working atmosphere for their employees to thrive in. Irrespective of profession or industry; leadership, alignment and support are all crucial for employee satisfaction. We are well practiced in this area of service – after all, it is the human element of our work that is most important!

Mediation

Mediation is an essential tool for dissolving confrontations in the workplace. At times there may be an instance where, due to personal reasons, a company requires an external source to mediate a situation for them. More often than not conflict is brushed under the carpet, it then escalates and becomes a bigger problem than if it had been directly addressed.
HPC can be this external party, still connected with your business, but provide impartial advice based on their investigation; exploring both sides of the argument and drawing to some form of conclusion, following the facts where the issues is resolved.

Psychometric Testing

Psychometric testing is a structured means of testing how a candidate performs in relation to specific tasks, it measures their reaction to certain situations and the results give an idea of how the candidate will fit in with a job role and company.
At HPC, our consultants are fully qualified in conducting Psychometric Testing and can provide you with a comprehensive report on a candidate’s performance. This allows you to make an informed decision on how well the candidate will fit the role in question and what they would bring to a business as a whole - positive or negative. We would not offer you advice on employees which we would not take on board ourselves.

Recruitment and Selection

When growing your organisation the employer must consider which options best suit their business, whether this includes training current staff or recruiting new employees. Taking on staff is an investment and time should be taken to ensure that you do this well and that you attract candidates of the right calibre.
HPC can assist you through the recruitment and selection process from start to finish. We help with placing the advert, scoring and shortlisting applicants and also provide psychometric testing. We will work closely with you to determine what you require from a new employee and ensure that the position is filled by the most suitable candidate with your business’ best interests placed at the forefront of decisions.

Redundancy & Re-structures

Many businesses may be planning ahead for the future and have to consider making changes in job roles in order to restructure. At times they will have to consider cutting staff numbers to make ends meet, and for redundancies it is vital that Employers follow a factual and fair procedure.
HPC can provide you with guidance and support if you are having to consider any changes to your current workforce. As highlighted earlier, our packages will provide support in all areas of your HR, it is entirely up to you how you choose to use your consulting hours, we will not suddenly invoice you for hidden costs.

TUPE

TUPE means the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations. It is a very complicated piece of legislation that was brought into place to protect employees when either a business or service provision transfer occurs.
HPC will assist you through the whole process; due diligence in relation to the employees, consultation with employees into or out of the business and producing contracts for staff transferring in. We can manage any negotiations on your behalf should you require this service.

Investigations

Most organisations at some point will have to deal with difficult situations which require investigations before you can conclude them. If employers get this wrong, it could prove very costly in a number of ways, many business owners have lost resources through hasty decision making; resulting in both human and capital loss that wasn’t necessary.
HPC can help improve your knowledge of legal and practical requirements relating to investigations and will carry out each stage of the process on your behalf. Investigations are not only costly but also exhaustive of time. By passing issues like this to us at HPC, as part of your fully outsourced package or a one off project, you can be assured that your circumstances are dealt with appropriately.

Health and Safety

Health and Safety in the workplace, can cause all manner of confusions. As a bracket term it covers workplace conditions, accidents and the law. All of the red tape can be overwhelming – it doesn’t need to be. By managing potential workplace risks you can have peace of mind that your business is compliant with the required regulations.
From reviewing your current management of health and safety to advice regarding previous claims HPC can supply the level of support your company needs. This may be through consultation hours or report and documentation; we will provide support from fully qualified health and safety consultants.

oneHR

oneHR is a cloud based software product that can be used by employers and employees to streamline their HR admin & management. It removes hassles that paper based HR Management bring; all you need is a browser and internet connection – it is also smartphone and tablet compatible. The software is safe and secure with remote backup and an archive system so nothing will be completely lost.
It is a self-service solution, users are given login access dependent on their role in the organization. Each user has access to view and control information appropriate to their level. They can submit requests for Senior Users to manage such as, staff holidays, contracts of employment, policies and procedures, induction, appraisal, performance, sickness and other absences. The software has communication and task tracking features to ensure premium accountability within an organization.

Employment Documentation

Documentation outlining an employees terms of work, such as, employment conditions, duties, responsibilities and rights along with the organisation’s ethos and values - lay the foundations for a solid workplace relationship.
The types of policies and procedures you introduce will depend on the size and nature of your business. For example, if your staff operate machinery, we would advise on implementing a specific policy on drugs and alcohol use. If most of your staff use computers then you should create an email and internet policy. There are a number of benefits to implementing policies and procedures within your company.
A healthy workplace relationship, as we touched upon earlier is vital in all businesses. Irrespective of industry or job role, all companies must be legally compliant. Inclusive documentation for all employees is evidence for an employer that all were aware of rules and regulations within the business. Similarly, these standards set a precedent for what your company represents as a whole. Companies who focus on employee engagement, will see that productivity and morale follow suit, this also increases employee retention.
We would strongly suggest for every organisation to have a company handbook in place and that it is readily accessible to all. HPC can work with you to create clear and accessible policies appropriate for your business, sticking to legal requirements. We will then keep you updated with any changes in legislation and amend your policies accordingly.

Consultancy hours

You can use your allocated consultancy hours with your Advisor however you feel best. For example, to look at your Absence Management, Performance Reviews, Recruitment.

Awards and Nominations

Customer Service Award – FSB Merseyside 2016 | HR Consultancy of the Year – Talk Of Manchester Awards 2016 | Professional Services Business of the year – FSB Merseyside 2016 | Best SME Provider of the year – Talk of Manchester Awards 2016 | Professional Services Business of the Year – MIB Awards 2016